Today’s FamilyDads post is dedicated to the birth of my new son, Ahsher Boaz Watkins.

He was born at home early this morning (last night) at 12:14am local time, a very healthy beautiful baby who is already showing a rather peaceful disposition. Mom is doing super too. Best delivery we’ve had yet!

Quick story…

Neither my wife nor I had a boy’s name picked out. Even while my wife was in labor last night in our bedroom, we still did not have a single boy’s name “ready.”

At some point during the evening, I slipped into the family room and opened to a scripture passage I’ve read numerous times but felt led to read again. While reading, it mentioned the tribe of Ahsher (spelled “Asher” in most modern English translations.)

As I read, I sensed in my spirit that I was to use that name if we had a boy.

Ahsher was the name of one of Jacob’s twelve sons. His name is commonly interpreted to mean “happy” or “blessed” because that is how his mother felt when she had him.

But the full ancient Hebraic meaning is “Happiness is in YAH.” (Yah is short for YHWH, the personal name of our Heavenly Father used over 6,000 times in Scripture.)

The middle name “Boaz” is in reference to the husband of Ruth, the great-grandfather of King David. It means “by strength.”

Ahsher Boaz = “Happiness is in Yah, by strength”

Pretty cool how that happened just in time for his birth, without any “advance planning,” worrying, or input on my part or my wife’s.

Sometimes that’s how our Heavenly Father works. He doesn’t always tell us the details in advance — because we don’t need to know — but rather wants us to competely trust Him and not “sweat the details.”

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the counsel of YHWH that stands.” -Prov 19:21

He always knows what He’s doing, and we can truly find our happiness in Him, by strength.

After an almost “all-nighter” home birth, this tired but excited dad is ready for some sleep now!

PS – Here is my favorite macho dad video that is sure to give you a few laughs if you’ve ever had the joy of changing baby diapers. I first posted this video when my fourth child was born two years ago. I still crack up every time I watch it.

“Blessed is the man… his delight is in the law of YHWH…” – Psalm 1:2

“Delight” is a bit of an odd word to us guys.

When was the last time you told someone you “delighted” in something or someone. Or you heard another guy tell you about his “delight.”

See what I mean?

And yet, this word “delight” was used by a rugged outdoorsman, a bear and lion killer, a man who courageously engaged in face-to-face combat against a man almost twice his size.

In the opening verses of his most famous writing of Scripture, King David used this word “delight” to describe the heart’s affection of the blessed man.

“…but his delight is in the law of YHWH…” – Psalm 1:2

A blessed man delights in the words, direction, warnings, and instructions of YHWH contained in the first five books of Scripture. This is what the English-translated word “law” is referring to. It is the Hebrew transliteration of “towrah”, more commonly spelled Torah.

The second half of the verse answers the followup question I asked myself:

“Do I delight in the Torah of YHWH?”

“…on His law does he meditate day and night.” – Psalm 1:2

Meditate is more than a casual reading. It is focused thought, careful study, deep introspection, and prayerful application. To meditate day and night implies just that! It is something a blessed man finds himself doing both during the day and at night. Perhaps not every single day and every single night, but with consistent regularity motivated out of his love of YHWH and YHWH’s Torah.

Are you a blessed man?

If you are, Scripture says…

“he will be like a tree planted by a stream of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaves fall not off; and whatever he begins he accomplishes.” – Psalm 1:3

Wow! What a picture of blessing! It is the result of delighting in the Torah of YHWH, and meditating on it day and night.

From one family dad to another,

Joey Watkins

Founder, FamilyDads.com

PS – Torah and the Hebrew roots of our modern Christian faith is a subject I’ve been studying for a while now both for my personal spiritual growth and to teach my children (per instructions to parents in Deuteronomy 6:7.) If you would like to receive upcoming emails on Torah, signup here.

On a cold winter morning on his family’s Pennsylvania farm, 8-year-old Trevor Beam made one false step inside a harvester wagon. His bulky winter jacket was snagged in the machinery and he was pulled into spiked bars that could have killed him instantly.

He survived the accident, but all the doctors thought he would lose his right leg and be crippled for life.

Yet after only 3 weeks in the hospital, and less than 2 months after his accident, Trevor walked into his doctor’s office on his own in a walker.

And less than 2 months later, he was walking unassisted, completely whole, and WITHOUT EVEN A LIMP! Graphic photos taken of Trevor’s legs after the accident demonstrate how remarkable this healing was.

Trevor’s Song is the amazing story of fatherly love, childlike faith, and a remarkable testimony of physical healing. It’s the story of a little boy who defied everyone’s expectations; a little boy who lived when he should have died and who walked again when he should have been crippled.

It’s also the story of an earthly father who refused to give up.

Most of all, it’s the story of a heavenly Father who hears and answers prayer; who comforted a distraught earthly father with the words, “Trevor is My son too, and I’m going to take good care of him.”

Pictures of Trevor Beam and his family - Warning: Very Graphic Pictures of Trevor’s Legs are Below

Beam Family

Trevor Beam

Harvest Wagon

Trevor Playing Football After Healing

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WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS BELOW OF TREVOR’S LEG INJURY

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CAUTION: THESE ARE VERY GRAPHIC

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Trevor’s Song: The Miraculous True Story of God’s Healing Power After a Tragic Farm Accident

On Sale Now at

Today I’d like to tell you a story about a friend of mine named Tommy.

Tommy grew up in middle Tennessee, went to college where he played football, married his high school sweetheart, and landed a nice corporate job with FedEx.

It occurred to Tommy one day that he was spending more time with those gathered around the conference room table at the office than with those gathered around his kitchen table — his family.

The Heavenly Father began to put in Tommy a yearning to be together with his family. He ended up leaving his corporate job, picking up his family, and moving two hours away from the big city to basically start over again — only this time with different priorities.

Today, Tommy and his family share a deep, united love for one another. They are involved in a remarkable work half way around the world in a fragile, unstable part of Israel serving independent farmers — something Tommy would have never been able to do with his corporate job.

His journey has been indescribably rewarding for both Tommy and his family. In Tommy’s own words… “As I look back, the sacrifice was minimal compared to what I’ve gained… what we’ve all gained.”

Now, my point in telling you Tommy’s story is not to try and convince you to do what Tommy did with his family (unless you are led to!), but rather to encourage you with a story of how one dad’s heart turned to his family, and the direction and calling a family can receive as a result of courageously and obediently stepping out from cultural norms and putting family above work and career.

If you struggle balancing work and family, and work tends to get the bulk of your time each week, let me encourage you to make this struggle a serious matter of prayer and contemplation.

As the Heavenly Father draws your heart to your family, let Him guide you in making the decisions and choices that will be best for your family, even if that means making financial adjustments.

Get wise counsel, walk by faith, and remember that our window of time to raise our children is short and swift. And we dads have a high “Kingdom Calling” to lead our families, disciple our children, and who knows what work our family may be called to?!

PS – Tommy’s story has been turned into a DVD documentary called A Journey Home that has won several awards and inspiried many other dads and their families.

Tommy and Sherry were typical American parents. He was a manager at FedEx and she was a soccer mom raising two boys. But when the pressures of work began to affect their family, they chose to make significant changes to their lives to prioritize their family.  A Journey Home is the remarkable true story of divine intervention and a decision to choose family over work and career.

Watch the Trailer and Learn More